California State Senators speak during a session of the California State Senate in Sacramento. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

SACRAMENTO (KCBS) — A challenge to California’s ban on bilingual education in public schools took a step forward Tuesday after the state Senate approved a measure aimed at overturning key sections of the law.

The state’s voters approved Proposition 227, which required that instruction in public schools be conducted in English, 16 years ago and it has been a source of heated debate ever since.